Parliamentary questions

Trish Godman

601 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

4 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many persons were employed in the shipbuilding industry in 1996 and how many are currently employed.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Data from the Office for National Statistics suggests that 11,200 people were employed in the building and repairing of ships in Scotland in 1996. Employment in the sector was 8,900 in 1999 (latest available data).

4 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with the Department of Trade and Industry concerning dismantlement programmes for redundant offshore platforms and other structures, the need for location of suitable sites for such operations and the training of personnel to carry out the work.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: Oil company decommissioning programmes must be submitted to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for agreement; for projects off Scotland, DTI consults the Scottish Executive. In addition, the Executive participates with DTI in the Fabricators Support G…

4 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has held with the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Trade and Industry concerning the placing of government contracts with Scottish shipyards.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with both the Ministry of Defence and Department of Trade & Industry on a wide range of issues, including the placing of government contracts with Scottish shipyards.

4 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when its Plan for Action on Alcohol Misuse will be published and which organisations and interested parties were consulted in the preparation of the plan.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive issued a consultation paper on a national Plan for Action on Alcohol Misuse to approximately 160 interested organisations and networks in February 2001. The consultation paper gives a full list of those consulted and is held by the Parlia…

4 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with Inverclyde Council concerning Urban 2 funding for projects in Port Glasgow and whether any projects have been identified and approved to receive funding under this initiative.

Answer · Angus MacKay: We await European Commission approval of the programme. Officials from the Scottish Executive European Structural Funds Division have had a series of discussions with opposite numbers for both Inverclyde and West Dunbartonshire Councils to prepare for impleme…

4 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the disbursement of Urban 2 funding to Port Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire.

Answer · Angus MacKay: The European Commission is considering our proposal for Urban 2 funding for the Clyde Urban Waterfront Regeneration Zone (Port Glasgow and Clydebank). I understand that the programme is likely to be approved around the end of November. This should allow imple…

4 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many fatal accident inquiries have been held in the past five years into the loss of the lives of crews of fishing vessels and whether it is informed of the recommendations made in such cases.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Fatal Accident Inquiries (FAIs) in Scotland are a matter for the Procurator Fiscal Service. I understand that while statistics are collated on the number of FAIs held, these are not categorised in a way which permits the information requested to be provided.<…

4 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children were born in (a) West Renfrewshire, (b) Greenock and (c) Inverclyde in (i) 1997, (ii) 1998, (iii) 1999, (iv) 2000 and (v) 2001 to date.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is shown in the table.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=604><TR><TD VALIGN="TOP" COLSPAN=6>Number of live births, Scotland, 1997 to September 20011</TD></TR><TR><TD WIDTH="41%" VALIGN="TOP">…

4 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which prisons are currently overcrowded and what its plans are to address this issue.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The following table displays the current prisoner population position in relation to available capacity as of Friday 5 October …

4 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the guidelines issued by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists concerning maternity units are being given equal weighting by all NHS bodies in relation to the maternity unit reviews currently under way.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The responsibility for assessing the needs of the local population and delivering the most appropriate configuration of maternity services to meet those needs lies with the individual NHS Boards.In conducting their reviews of maternity strategies, NHS bodi…

19 Sep 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the welfare of children in families affected by alcohol abuse is being addressed following the publication of Getting our Priorities Right.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is currently developing a national Plan for Action on Alcohol Misuse. The needs of children and young people affected by alcohol misuse will be addressed in the plan.

5 Sep 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is addressing the child care needs of lone parents seeking to attend college or university.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: From this year, lone parents in full-time higher education will be able to claim a grant of £1,000 per year to help them meet their formal child care costs. This is the first ever child care grant for students in higher education in Scotland and is expected t…

3 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to improve the prison education system and rehabilitation programmes.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:SPS developed a new prisoner education policy which was implemented on 1 April 2000 through commercial contracts with a number of provid…

3 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, what effect CCTV systems in Renfrewshire have had on levels of street crime in each of the last two years.

Answer · Iain Gray: Information from Strathclyde Police for 2000 shows that CCTV systems covering Paisley, Johnstone and Renfrew Town Centres recorded 672 incidents, resulting in 801 arrests or detections. Figures for the period January to March 2001 already show 154 incidents r…

3 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what specific steps have been taken to encourage more tourists from (a) England and (b) Wales to visit Scotland.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: visitscotland has recently launched its biggest ever spring campaign and will be able to provide the detailed information requested.

3 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve tourist facilities throughout Scotland.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: A New Strategy for Scottish Tourism, published in February 2000, contains a range of actions designed to improve the tourism product in Scotland. A review of the strategy actions will be undertaken over the next few months.</F…

3 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it made available for (a) new school building and (b) major school building repairs and improvements in (i) Renfrewshire and (ii) Inverclyde, in each of the last two years.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Work on school buildings is funded mainly by the local authorities themselves and the Scottish Executive does not generally make money available directly to authorities for that purpose. The level of capital expenditure by local authorities is subject to broa…

3 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a screening programme for those most at risk from osteoporosis.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Executive takes the advice of the National Screening Committee (NSC), an expert advisory body to all the UK Health Departments, on screening matters. The NSC has advised that the present means of testing are not sufficiently sensitive to justify a screeni…

3 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what notification is given to it by employers when large scale redundancy programmes are planned and implemented.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The legal basis under which employers must notify the Government of significant redundancies is the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. The Act states that employers must notify the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, in writing,…

3 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is given by it to help redundant employees re-train and find alternative employment in or near their communities.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: In the event of a redundancy situation, support will be provided to those affected in accordance with the principles set out in our PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) document. Local response teams, involving key local and national agencies, …

3 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many employees in IT companies were made redundant in each of the last two years in (a) West Lothian, (b) Renfrewshire and (c) Scotland.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive does not collect data on local area redundancies by sector.

28 Mar 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current position is in relation to discussions with Glasgow City Council about the refurbishment of Kerelaw secure unit.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Jack McConnell discussed this matter with Council representatives as part of a recent visit to the unit. The Council have commissioned a study of Public Private Partnership as a funding option. We await sight of the study and will then consider the matter fur…

22 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for consulting on the provisions proposed for the Water Services Bill.

Answer · Ross Finnie: A consultation paper on the Water Services Bill is being published today. It describes the Executive's proposals for creating a single all Scotland public water authority and for establishing a regulatory framework to ensure that increasing competition in the…

14 Mar 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest figures are on the take-up of Individual Learning Accounts.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: As at 28 February 2001, 56,800 Individual Learning Accounts have been opened in Scotland. By then, account holders had registered for a total of 13,545 learning episodes.

2 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the rules governing the central heating initiative will be published, what the results were of home energy efficiency schemes in 1999-2000, and whether it will describe the benefits from both schemes.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The rules governing the central heating programme will be published tomorrow.In 1999/2000 47,000 low-income households benefited from government-funded home energy efficiency schemes. Their homes were insulated, and the householders given energy advice, re…

24 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent meetings it has held with trade union representatives and the work force at Royal Ordnance Bishopton over its future and what the outcome was of any such meetings.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I met local and national trade union representatives on 22 January to discuss the future of Royal Ordnance Bishopton. I agreed to discuss their concerns about the possible public costs of closing the site for propellent manufacture with Scotland Office and Mi…

24 Jan 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how learndirect scotland will contribute to the achievement of social justice.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Learning is critical to employability and to fulfilling potential. learndirect scotland is simplifying access to lifelong learning by giving people information and advice on all kinds of learning opportunities.We have set learndirect scotland challe…

23 Nov 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has held with the Holocaust Educational Trust in relation to the holding of Holocaust Memorial Day.

Answer · Jim Wallace: A meeting was held by officials of the Justice and Education Departments on 9 March with the Deputy Director of The Holocaust Educational Trust to discuss the Memorial Day arrangements and the production of educational material for schools.

23 Nov 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures will be put in place in response to the publication of the BSE Inquiry Report by Her Majesty's Government in October 2000.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The UK Government is studying all of the BSE Inquiry team's findings with care and their substantive response to the report will be published in the coming months. The Scottish Executive is fully engaged in contributing to this response. The UK Government wil…

23 Nov 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what grant aid it will make available for (a) training of fishermen and (b) safety equipment carried by fishing vessels.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: As I indicated on 6 November (question S1W-10937), we are making up to £1.5 million available over the next three financial years to support the delivery of safety training for fishermen in Scotland. Delivery is planned to commence from next April. Other aspe…